Apologize to Christopher Columbus?

There were atrocities, yes, but not by Christopher Columbus himself. He was actually a good guy. What modern teachers are likely teaching children is downright agenda-driven, drivel.  Here's why:

Trumped up charges

Mark Dice on the farcical Trump lawsuit results and how Nikki Haley and the Democrat run media are approaching it:

Snoop Dogg for Trump?!?

 Weird? Yes.  Makes sense? Yeah.

U.S.A. vs. Texas: Why Gov. Abbott really matters

There appears to be, pardon the pun, a Mexican standoff between Texas and the federal government of the United States. First, a quick background via the BBC:

Republican governors in half of the US have backed Texas in an intensifying standoff with the federal government over illegal immigration.

The Supreme Court ruled this week against Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who has strung razor wire along miles of the frontier with Mexico.

But the Republican has vowed to add more razor wire to crack down on what he calls an invasion.

A record 300,000-plus illegal migrants crossed the border in December alone.

On Thursday, 25 Republican governors released a joint statement of solidarity with Mr Abbott for "stepping up to protect American citizens from historic levels of illegal immigrants, deadly drugs like fentanyl, and terrorists entering our country".

It is important to note, and to their credit the BBC article does make note of it, what Abbott  is doing technically does not violate the Supreme Court decision.  The decision permits the federal government to remove the wire, it does not restrict Texas from putting up more wire. This is why states and members of congress alike are able to stand with Texas and Abbott on this issue.

Texas Governor Abbott has been the prime catalyst in the immigration debate over the last year. Yes, it was the very foundation of Donald Trump's presidential run. But over the past 12 months, it's been Abbott who has moved the needle on the issue. Not only has he tried to create a border wall, he has gotten the issue all the way to the Supreme Court which deftly, and I think rightly, did not put any restrictions on either party.  The reason I say that is because taking away national security as a first-and-foremost federal jurisdiction is a bad idea. The only reason it became an issue at all is because the current administration (among others, granted) has completely abandon its responsibility on the issue to the point of absurdity. 

Getting back to Abbott, there's still more that he's done that I don't think has been talked about enough.  I believe Abbott may end up being the single biggest contributor to Donald Trump's reelection effort because of one thing.  Abbott's decision to ship illegal immigrants from Texas to sanctuary cities has completely flipped the narrative on immigration among constituencies there that had been reliably Democratic voters heretofore. African Americans in Chicago and New York City are not happy with the massive influx of illegal immigrants. No one in those cities can remain optimistic about their own stance on illegal immigration.  These cities as sanctuaries never had to shoulder the responsibilities of their choices.  Now they do and it's a mess.

Democrat voters in these situations might vote for Trump or they might just not vote at all.  Either way it helps Trump, a lot.  Beyond those cities the optics of leftist mayors imploring Let's Go Brandon for help on the news cycle repeatedly matters just as much.  It's going to be a Trump was right on immigration epiphany for many.

My only hope is that he selects more swing state target cities for bussing these illegal immigrants.  It seems to have not backfired in terms of public opinion objectives for Republicans .where they have been bussed.  So why not expand the operation? Strategically, I think it's been pure genius.  Obviously you cannot send the migrants to places that do not claim to be a sanctuary city.  But other political opportunities exist; New Jersey, California, and Washington. Colorado, Maryland, Vermont, and Connecticut are all sanctuary states. Of those Democrat-voting states, which is most likely to flip Republican after being inundated with illegal immigrants they claim to embrace but simply cannot afford to have? Make that your next destination for these buses.

This not unimportantly also helps Abbott if he wants to run for president in 2028.  He is leading an effort now that has been embraced by many, and he is leading on many fronts as we have seen.  He would immediately become a front-running contender in the 2028 race. He bypasses both Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy as the leading candidate barring either ending up being the Trump VP selection.  I'm not suggesting I would prefer Abbott over Ramaswamy, but I would not be opposed to him being the GOP nominee for president in 2028.

Despite all that, I do not believe Abbott is taking these actions primarily for the advancement of his own political career.  I believe he is doing it primarily for the survival of Texas, secondarily because he believes illegal immigration is a truly salient issue for all of America.  The potential benefit to his own future in politics is simply a welcome byproduct for him.

As if on cue, senility rears its ugly head.

I just finished posting on Let's Go Brandon's mental acuity, and here he goes talking about president Trump as if it were 2020:

Of course on cue may be a stretch, since this guy makes mental errors "on the daily" as they say nowadays.

The uh, most, uh, senile president ever

Let's Go Brandon's age is a problem.  Donald Trump's age is not. Here's why.

According to History: 

Joe Biden was 78 when he took the oath of office as the 46th president of the United States in January 2021. This earned him the spot as the oldest president in U.S. history.

In my previous post, in the video clip at about clip 2:42, there's yet another example, among countless examples now, of a man who requires mental health care, not someone who is of presidential quality.  It's not his only problem as a leader, but by far it's it's most compromising - even bigger than his corruption at this point. Rational thought is imperative in his role, and it's lacking in abundance.

Compare that, or any clip of his frighteningly incoherent babblings, to this recent Donald Trump speech, over an hour and twenty minutes long. There's no comparison in terms of mental acuity.

When Donald Trump wins the election and takes office he will be roughly the same age as Let's Go Brandon was when he took office in 2021. But even when Let's Go Brandon took office, there were signs of cognitive effeteness.  Check out these 2021 gaffes:

There is truly no comparison of the cognitive ability between the two men.  And it's not like there aren't other examples of better cognitive ability than Let's Go Brandon.  Remember how the Democrats always said president Reagan was senile?  He was robust as president, despite being the second oldest man to ever when he left office.

According to that same History article:

Born February 6, 1911, the nation’s 40th president was 77 years and 349 days old at the completion of his second term in January 1989. While campaigning in 1980, Reagan tried to put to rest questions about his age by pledging that he would resign if the White House physician ever detected signs of mental deterioration.

Once in office, Reagan proved to be remarkably resilient, and survived an assassination attempt in 1981, as well as surgery in 1985 to remove a cancerous polyp in his large intestine. Reagan always seemed the picture of robust health, in part because he exercised regularly with weights and enjoyed horseback riding and performing manual labor at his ranch in California. Reagan was able to brush aside concerns about age with humor, once joking during a 1984 debate that “I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”

Here's the great Ronald Reagan giving a  farewell speech to his staff, cognitive still, clearly:

 

The problem is Let's Go Brandon's mental acuity, whether it's due to age is irrelevant.  Other presidents have been mentally alert during their tenures. Don't get me wrong, I want Let's Go Brandon to be the Democrats' nominee, not some parachuted in last minute replacement. He deserves the drubbing he will get from it.  More importantly the disaffected Democrat voters might be far more forgiving of an unknown commodity like the evil Gavin Newsom than of Let's Go Brandon, and president Trump might not win.  I don't know, maybe it's too late to matter at this point.  Aside from the mail in vote scams, it's getting harder and harder to see Trump losing.  I just hope in saying that, I'm not being as stupid as this guy:

Haley paints Trump as the establishment

The Hill shares a video on two stories, first Nikki Haley claiming, laughably, that Donald Trump is a puppet of the establishment elite.  The same elite who are resoundingly against him.  Makes sense.  It's the weirdest play for Trump voters imaginable.

The new segment goes on to talk about about Let's Go Brandon's age issue (more on that in my next post):

Glenn Greenwald: Trump killed the Ukraine bill

This was going to be a straight pass-through of Glenn Greenwald's take on Trump being responsible for congress not passing the bill to use $60B for Ukraine. But I want to add a few thoughts of my own before sharing Greenwald's take.

My take on Ukraine support is this; Russia needs to be stopped.  More precisely, Putin needs to be stopped. BUT, not at all costs. And I'm certainly not in favor of unfettered money being spent on Ukraine when America is facing a border crisis of massive proportions and nothing is being done about that. America is struggling with a debt crisis and nothing is being done about that.  America is facing hidden inflation, a looming recession and nothing seems to be being done about those things either.

There are smarter ways to deal with Putin's imperialism. NATO should contribute more. Europe is far more at risk than America, and should be shouldering the brunt of the cost and effort.  Then there are the banking systems that can be used to  choke Russian access to international markets (as opposed to targeted mini-embargos).  

As for Congress, why meekly submit to an agreement without some pushback? Make Let's Go Brandon back off Texas. Demand border wall funding and construction timetables that, if not adhered to, stop the funds to Ukraine.  That, as a bare minimum.  Add 20 other demands. Negotiate from a point of strength.  This all seems so obvious.  At least Congress was smart enough to say no.  It's a start.

They got their headline

It's all they wanted really, not truth, just headlines that they believe will damage Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. It doesn't matter that there will be an appeal that president Trump stands a good chance of winning. If he raped her, why was there no criminal trial? Why is the civil trial aligned with the 2024 election? Election interference maybe?

The left have their narrative, it's all they wanted. They don't even care if he beats it later.  In fact they probably won't even report it if he does. For now, he's more damaged in their eyes and less likely to win an election.

Sunday verse

 

Texas vs Let's Go Brandon

It's on, and not in a courtroom:

So funny that it's not funny

The look on the guy's face says it all perfectly.

The judge is on thin ice

A judge threatening a lawyer with jail time, in a civil trial with flimsy reasons is not a real judge.

Sometimes the conspiracy theories turn out to be true

I'm not a conspiracy theory type of guy, but in this case, Kari Lake has reason to feel vindicated.

GOP 2024 delegate futures

 

President Trump is going to go into Nevada next and take all 26 delegates. You read that right.  Thanks to weird rules in Nevada where they are holding a primary and a caucus, Trump is not on the primary ballot, and Haley is not on the caucus ballot. The GOP is counting the caucus results for the delegates. That will put Trump at 58, and Haley at 17.

I'm willing to bet she uses that to paint the GOP as being stacked against her, that she's the outsider. That's rich.  Only the donor class and Democrats want to see her win the nomination.

After Nevada comes South Carolina. Nikki Haley's home state. She's going to get trounced there. There are 50 delegates up for grabs and with a 30 point lead as of this writing, I'd expect Trump to take at least 35 of the 50 delegates, probably more. Assuming he wins 35/50, that would put the delegate total at Trump 93, Haley at 32.

Sure, at that point it's still early and she can make the argument that she's still got a fighting chance. But the symbolic nature of losing your home state cannot be overlooked.  

Hot on the heels of South Carolina is Michigan's primary, where Trump leads Haley by 34% in the latest poll (I could find, as of this writing). Of the 55 delegates, 39 will be allocated by caucus (about  a week after the primary) and the remainder based on the results of the primary. Given the polling lead, I'd expect Trump to get another 40 delegates from Michigan.  The one caveat I'd throw at that is that Michigan has an open primary. There could be a lot of Democrat cross-contamination. And while Haley would definitely benefit from that in terms of pure numbers, it severely damages her brand.

At that point his lead would be widened to 133 delegates versus 47 for Haley. The absolute margin is not huge, given that 1215 delegates are needed to win the nomination. But having lost her own state by this point and clearly with only about of a quarter of the delegates won (between her and Trump), justifying staying in the race until Super Tuesday, is a really tough sell. She's damaging her brand, not Trump's. Unless that's her secret goal, and we know it's not, then she has to be just selling out to the donor class for some sort of payoff down the road.

In the other scenario, where there's a lot of crossover Democrats voting for Haley, Trump still is likely to get at least 30 of the caucus delegates and half of the primary delegates. That would put him at 38 delegates in Michigan rather than my already conservative estimate of 40.  The outcome is relatively unchanged.

There's no point in looking into Idaho, Missouri, D.C. and North Dakota primaries which all happen before the 16 Super Tuesday states (not at this point; a lot can happen between now and then). The results of those states are likely to mirror their predecessors.

Nikki Haley has no path to victory. After 5 races, she'll have 5 second place finishes, some of them she'll be a distant second.  After 9 races she'll have 8 or 9 second place finishes. Washington D.C. may prefer her to Trump, so what? If this were a boxing match, the doctor would have stopped the fight long before the 9th round. 

Nikki Haley astroturfers

We knew it would happen.  Nikki Haley is rapidly becoming tangibly, visibly persona non grata among conservatives and Republicans. Not so for Democrats - they love her, for now at least.

Let's Go Brandon might lose New Hampshire

Forget Trump vs. Haley, here's the real story - Let's Go Brandon cannot give New Hampshire the time of day because, well, he's a stopped clock and he doesn't know the time of day.

Don't take my coffee!

More stupidity from the WEF; they're coming for our coffee next.

Nikki Haley's absurd rationale to stay in the race.

Tomorrow is the 2024 New Hampshire primary. Ron DeSantis has dropped out of the race, and Nikki Haley is getting the two person race she wanted. I'm not sure why she wants it though. When Vivek Ramaswamy dropped out he endorsed president Trump.  Now that Ron DeSantis has dropped out, he has done the same, and it appears, his supporters are buying into that idea. In South Carolina as governor, she appointed Tim Scott to the senate to fill a vacant seat. When Tim Scott left the race, he too endorsed president Trump.

And even without the effects of the latest endorsement by DeSantis, Trump already had a huge lead over Nikki Haley in the state that is supposed to make her candidacy viable.  Via RCP:

In fact, in the Trump vs. Haley head-to-head polls, Trump overperforms his average from the other polls with DeSantis still in the race.  Despite all of the Democrat backing, despite the establishment backing, Haley is going to lose. Trump has the momentum.  What happens if Haley has a semi-decent showing in New Hampshire, a respectable second place? The next primary is Nevada.  Trump is ahead by 60 points - over DeSantis.  Haley doesn't even rate in the polling there. There is no blip on the radar at all for her. Then what? South Carolina, where Trump has a 30+ point lead over Haley.  Where is her path?

Following that, in Michigan, the Trump lead over (again DeSantis) is almost 50 points. Haley at least rates third. 

Her chances of winning, are nil. Zero. Her inconsistency is astounding.  Her support in New Hampshire is pure astroturf. Her only chance to win is by gaming the system in the state. She cannot win the nomination, even if she comes close in New Hampshire. The net effect of her staying in the race only helps Democrats.  

Or maybe not. Because on-going primaries help keep Trump's name in the media, so it's not all bad. In fact, it might actually benefit Trump - much to the chagrin of both establishment Republicans and Democrats in toto.

Her rationale to stay in the race, on the surface, is absurd. Unless, she is simply an establishment and/or Democratic stooge, intent on damaging Trump. Republican voters will not support her positions, many of which align with Democrat positions. I don't think she'll drop out any time soon, and that will simply prove that her motivation is not to beat Trump but to hurt him.  If she does drop out, I will be surprised. But I will be even more surprised if after doing so, she endorses the frontrunner. It's not why she's in this race.

Flipped

Oh, Wow! DeSantis out?!?

Ron DeSantis has dropped out and endorses president Trump!

Sunday verse

 

Tim Scott endorses Trump, Nikki Haley affected most

Mark Dice explains why a Tim Scott endorsement of president Trump matters most to Nikki Haley:

Is Zeihan wrong on Russia?

Peter Zeihan has been predicting a Russian collapse for some time.  He's predicting the same for China, for that matter.  But is he right? Here's an alternate view.  My personal belief is that in the long run, demographically there's no way Peter Zeihan isn't correct, barring some miraculous changes in birth rates. It's likely the truth is somewhere in between these two opposing views, at least in the short to medium term.  

Nikki Haley for VP?

The argument by Kayleigh McEnany is valid, but...no.  Trump knows going into the election where she really stands. He will not knowingly be encumbered by a non-team-player in his second administration. Nikki Haley is a neo-con establishment persona all the way.  She's admitted she was inspired by Hillary Clinton.  Even if that was merely a ploy to attract more moderate voters to her presidential run, it's really bad optics and enough to turn off the GOP party faithful. Trump knows this.

Megyn Kelly shares her thoughts on how it might be possible. It's a convincing argument. But...no. Probably. Hopefully?

Vivek slam dunks 7-11

Vivek Ramaswamy has a sense of humor, and nails his response to this post. Wait for it:

Miss America, competent, not crazy, and actually female

Maybe the Miss America pageant has figured out that a transgender person is not the best idea for pageant winner if they want ratings to stay out of the basement.  No slight intended against the winner previous winner.

This is more along the lines of what people expect from the pageant:

More non-crazy talk at Davos

I mentioned yesterday it's not all craziness at the WEF gathering in Davos.  Besides, Javier Milei's speech, others stood up to the anti-freedom of the socialists in charge of the World Economic Forum.  Heritage Foundation president Dr. Kevin Roberts also let them know how most Americans feel about their freedoms.

It's not ALL craziness at the WEF meeting in Davos

Despite the constant barrage of lunacy, there is also a glimmer of common sense in the form of Javier Milei coming out of the WEF meeting in Davos.

Craziness at the WEF

Weird idiocy is always on the list for the World Economic Forum (WEF).  Here are just two examples. 

Ecocide? (warning, language at the end)

Disease X, plus ??? (warning, language at the end)

These are the same people who want to make all your decisions for you and have you be happy about it.

Vivek for VP

Is this the Dream Team? It could be. The endorsement speech for Trump from Vivek is great and highly aligned with the MAGA messaging. I believe that Vivek is in no small part, setting himself up for a run in 2028.  But I don't believe he has nefarious motivations behind his words; he seems to be authentic in his love for America and in his endorsement of president Trump.

Digesting Iowa Republican caucus results

The big surprise of the 2024 Republican Iowa caucuses was not the margin of Trump's victory or that he won massively, it was that Ron DeSantis came in second.  Pollsters were pointing to a Nikki Haley second place finish. She came third, despite the polls indicating she would run second, and despite the establishment push for her. Vivek Ramaswamy ran fourth as expected, but he did so in a classy way, and bowed out afterward the results were clear, quickly throwing his endorsement behind president Trump.

Most of Vivek's support will likely flow to Trump, though truthfully he really needs no help. It should allow him to run up the score, and it's smart that it comes pre New Hampshire. Trump is leading Nikki Haley there by roughly 14 points according RCP. Vivek's 5 points in that state could allow Trump some additional buffer.

President Trump was uncharacteristically magnanimous in victory, complimenting his primary rivals.  It's of course much easier to be gracious when you have an almost certain lock on the nomination. But that probably helps his candidacy.  His post caucus speech sounded very much like someone wanting the country to come together. It certainly will help him when he wraps up the nomination, to bring the Republican party together. And it will definitely help him in the general election, since the Democrats and media are prepared only for the belligerent version of Trump. It will make Let's Go Brandon look all the more bitter by comparison. At least it will help until the left catches on.  Luckily they don't tend to catch on quickly. It's a smart strategy for Trump.

Ron DeSantis, by coming second, will remain in the race. Even if he knows he cannot win (which may or may not be the actual case), he cannot drop out after a surprise second place finish when he was expected to come third.  It looks bad for his 2028 run if he folds so quickly. DeSantis staying in the race hurts Haley more than Trump. The anti-Trump vote split into two candidates helps Trump possibly even more than a Trump blowout in Iowa. If Trump gets a double digit lead in New Hampshire, going into South Carolina he is expected to blow out everyone again, it could be over that early. That's optimistic but the longer DeSantis stays in the race, the worse the chance become for Nikki Haley, the establishment uni-party darling. 

Iowa caucuses tomorrow - my take

If you are in Iowa and are unsure about caucusing, please do.  This election is one of the most important in our lifetime.  I know everyone keeps saying that, but it's very often true.  To paraphrase what Ronald Reagan pointed out, America is always just one generation away from ruination.  The Left is ever-present in trying to do just that, and have ever pushed America closer to that point.  So yes, this election is important; very, very important.  Here's what is expected.

Most pundits and pollsters have president Trump well ahead of likely second place finisher Nikki Haley who is a few points ahead of likely third place finisher Ron DeSantis. Vivek Ramaswamy is expected to finish fourth in single digits, which is unfortunate.

I support president Trump, and I expect him to win by a wide margin.  Nikki Haley is not only the establishment elite's preferred candidate, but she has been highly inconsistent and ill-spoken in her positions on issues. She will likely come in second, but what matters is how far in second.  Trump needs to mop the floor with her in terms of caucus support. 

Ron DeSantis, no matter how well he does, is likely finished either after Iowa or after New Hampshire.  The one caveat I'd say is that if he can manage second place, he might hang around for a while. His smartest move possible, he missed; that would have been to bow out of 2024 and defer to president Trump. Instead he ran an ill-formed campaign, he made both strategic and tactical gaffes that could conceivably cost him the 2028 nomination too.  He should be in damage control mode at this point but he is not, which is making things worse.

Vivek Ramaswamy who clearly has Trump's back, despite trying to mount his own campaign,  has recently come under fire from Trump himself. I understand that it's politics, but it's optically punching way down for Trump, and does not suit Trump's campaign strategy.  Vivek is the most Trump-like candidate outside of Trump. Unless Trump is angling for Don Jr. 2028, co-opting Vivek's candidacy would be a wise move.  Vivek is well spoken, and agrees with Trump on most every issue and might make a great spokesperson for Trump at every opportunity.

Of course it could be a misdirection play; leading the media to think Vivek won't be the VP nominee when in reality he would be a great pick.  I don't think that's the case though. I think Trump sees Vivek as a fellow outsider billionaire who is a competitor in terms of prestige and he doesn't want to lend the platform to someone outside his family who might shine as much as a Trump. I don't know that, but I sense it.  It doesn't change Trump's politics one iota.  His positions are clear, and intelligent and that's why he needs to be the nominee.  But of all of the candidates, at this point, Ramaswamy is the only other candidate of presidential timbre. Maybe that's why the 'late hit' came from Trump. It doesn't matter. Ramaswamy did not engage and it was a smart move. At some level, he is probably angling for the VP slot and engaging Trump doesn't help that. And in the grander scheme of things, it's likely to be forgotten by both sides. That's for the best.

All that remains to be seen out of Iowa tomorrow is the final numbers. Trump will win (probably handily), Haley will likely finish second, DeSantis third and Ramaswamy fourth.  What matters is less the positions than the margins ahead or behind for each candidate. That will determine who stays in, and if anyone drops out. My guess is the numbers will bear out enough support for everyone that no one drops out before New Hampshire.

Sunday verse

 

Trump VP already decided

Decide, but not shared.  While there's no announcement, here's president Trump with his charisma dial turned up to 11.

How obtuse can Democrats be? This obtuse.

You might remember when this lunacy happened, 23 days after Let's Go Brandon took office (this notification from Antony Blinken is clipped directly from the State Department's own website where it was posted on Feb 12, 2021 ):

Effective February 16, I am revoking the designations of Ansarallah, sometimes referred to as the Houthis, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under the Immigration and Nationality Act and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended.

This decision is a recognition of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen. We have listened to warnings from the United Nations, humanitarian groups, and bipartisan members of Congress, among others, that the designations could have a devastating impact on Yemenis’ access to basic commodities like food and fuel. The revocations are intended to ensure that relevant U.S. policies do not impede assistance to those already suffering what has been called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. By focusing on alleviating the humanitarian situation in Yemen, we hope the Yemeni parties can also focus on engaging in dialogue.

Fast forward to now.  These people, clearly, understand NOTHING: 

Vivek calls out media in spectacular fashion

This needs no introduction:

Washington Post in a dire panic

Oh no, they're losing control of the narrative! Whatever shall they do?  I guess, just fret that president Trump is allowed to speak without their filter applied.

For the first time since 2020, Fox News will hold a town hall with Donald Trump that is aired live rather than taped — a dynamic that has critics raising alarms about his potential to spread falsehoods unchecked. https://t.co/e04hZY4pjT

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 10, 2024

They can't even keep their stories straight

KJP vs. Alejandro Mayorkas - the lies are palpable.

Nancy Pelosi can't help but be authoritarian

As long as things work out in her elitist favor, she'll stop at nothing to ensure her party retains its grip on power. Oddly, she's not ashamed to say the most ridiculous things in her efforts to do so. Constitution be damned.

More details. 

Nikki Haley is a disaster

 Oof.

Sunday verse

 

So you're saying there's a chance

As I have said all along, president Trump will be on the ballot in Colorado in 2024.  Let's add Maine to that list.

Why the jobs report is actually pretty bad

These supposedly 'good' numbers are not actually good numbers when you look even a little bit closer.

Jeffrey Epstein details you might miss in the mainstream media

A few Epstein details you might have not have been informed about:

Positivity from Jordan Peterson

Jordan Peterson explains the Biblical story of Cain and Abel, that took him 40 years to think through:

Vivek needs to be in the mix for the future of America

VP, Secretary of State, just something:

Positivity from Louis Farrakhan???

 The Officer Tatum discusses Louis Farrakhan showing some positivity about president Trump:

Quote for the year

The people who cast the votes don't decide an election, the people who count the votes do. 

~Joseph Stalin

Positivity from Javier Milei

Dave Rubin recounts some positivity from Argentina via their new president Javier Milei:

Positivity from Tulsi Gabbard

I want to start the year out on a positive note.  Here's Tulsi Gabbard recounting a positive experience and then noticing fellow Democrats didn't share her enthusiasm for the Constitution:

Top 15 posts of 2023

I was thinking about avoiding a Top 10 list for the year (2023) but going back and looking through some of my longer forms posts, there are some worth revisiting because I think I did a decent job on them. In fact I have 15 and a couple of honorable mentions as well.

Honorable mentions - two on RFK Jr.

Is an RFK Jr. Independent Run good or bad for president Trump's reelection bid?  I shared some initial thoughts here. I followed up here, along with some additional context from Red Eagle Politics.

While I think his independent bid is a mixed bag, there are bigger fish to fry in the 2024 election season. Jill Stein getting on the ballot for the Green Party in some more states helps Trump's chances.  But the biggest "elephant in the room" is the possibility that Democrats ouster Let's Go Brandon and run a Gavin Newsom or Michelle Obama instead.  It's probably their best option at this point, and I'd say the possibilities are almost 50/50 with the polls still favoring Trump over Brandon.

(15) Slow walk the Hunter Biden investigation / impeachment efforts

I've argued that rushing the impeachment may help Democrats pull the trigger on removing Let's Go Brandon as being their nominee for 2024. Take the win in 2024 and prepare for Newsom as the nominee in 2028. Winning now matters.

(14) The Colorado removal of Trump from the ballot was destined to fail

I knew it.  Maine's effort will fail too. It is inevitable.

(13) The failure of follow the science explained

A non-political explanation of cognitive bias and a short commentary explains why climate change and COVID paranoia, among other junk-pseudo-science proclamations and dictates, were and are bad for America.

(12) The data doesn't lie (except when it does)

Academia is rife with mis-steps, often deliberate, and it's a wakeup call that data can reveal the truth, or reveal what someone wants you to think is the truth.  So be vigilant.

(11) The cyclical nature of stupidity

Here's why not all hope is lost.  Everything is cyclical, even common sense.

(10) Saul Alinsky vs Bud Light

Using Rules for Radicals as an approach to cancel a woke brand, shows the tactics can work for conservatives too.

(9) I provided Democrats some unsolicited advice on COVID

Because I know they won't listen. Here's how the Democrats could recover from some of their own stupidity - take ownership of it.

(8) How to fight the left

I keep harping on about this, year after year, because how we fight politically, matters as much as what we are fighting to support.  If you aren't effective at the battle, you can't win.

(7) More on how to fight the left

The fallacy of using only facts and logic. This is why Trump connects with voters; it's not just common sense, it's guttural.

(6) Why West Virginia matters

It's nothing to do with politics, it's what's happening there socially and economically. It serves as a warning to America.

(5) Chipping away at the foundation

Communists and socialists are doing exactly what you'd expect they would do to take down America. 

(4) Where did woke capitalism come from exactly?

Woke capitalism is a symptom of a bigger problem.  A bad symptom, but it is not the cause of what ails America.

(3) Trust first?  No.

I took issue with a reasonable argument from Mike Slater at Breitbart News Daily. Not because he's not mostly right, he's usually right.  Just not here. Trust must be earned over time.

(2) Reversing my stance (kinda)

In Top 15's #3 above, I argued why trust first is a bad idea.  But I have argued for a long time that America's greatness stems from economic strength. I was wrong.  Not that it's totally incorrect, economic strength matters a lot.  What matters more is character and values. Mike Slater was right on this point, the underlying social conservative is the fabric that must not be torn. Whether that underpinning strength of personal and national character comes from God (as I believe it does), or from just choosing to be moral and virtuous first and foremost, that underpins what makes it possible to have economic strength. Those are the deepest roots.

(1) The pitfalls of capitalism

A critical inward look at capitalism's imperfections. Despite these issues, it's still the best choice available to humanity to date.